Railway-car



90 S. A M O H T J.

RAILWAY GAR.

No. 380,705. Patented Apr. l0, 1888.

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J. W. THOMAS.

v RAILWAY GAR. 180.880,70). PatentedApr. '10, 1888.

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(No Model.)

J. W. THOMAS. RAILWAY CAR.

PatentedApr. 1o, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATEiSiT4 OrErcE0 JOHN W. THOMAS, OF TYRONE, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,705, dated April 10x 1888.

Application filed April 2G, 1887.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

' Be it known that I, JOHN W. THoMns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tyrone, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in railway-cars; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional View of a railway-car em- Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached plan view of the bottom of the car. one of the devices to secure the sections of the car together. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the same.

A represents the bottom or platform of the car, which comprises the side beams, B, the.

transverse connecting-beams C, and the bottom boards, D, which are' secured on the up` per side of the frame. This platform or bottom A is attached to the trucks in the ordinary manner.

E represents a tongue or rail which is semicylindrical in crosssection, and is made of iron or steel. This tongue or rail is secured on the upper side of the platform A, and is arranged parallel with the sides and ends thereof and at a slight distance therefrom. The tongue or rail is made in detachable sections, which are united together by means of V-shaped joints F. At each corner of the tongue or rail, on the upper side of the platform A, is a semi-spherical ball, G, the height of which is considerablyin excess of theheight of the tongue or rail, and in the sides of the latter, at suitable intervals apart, are arranged similar semi-spherical balls, G'.

At diagonally-opposite corners of the plat form A, on the upper side thereof, are arranged blocks or bases H, which are preferably made of metal, and are provided on their upper sides with annular rings I, the outer sides of which are beveled at an angle of about thirty-five degrees and the in ner sides of which are rounded, as shown, thereby forming circular depressions K in the upper sides of the Fig. t is an enlarged front elevation of Serial No. 236,228. (No model.)

bases or blocks. In these depressions are secured the lower sides of the usual heaters or stoves, L, employed to heat railway-cars.

M represents the main section or body of the car, which has the sides N, the ends O, and the usual Hoor, l?. Under the bottom of the floor are the usual longitudinal keepers or joists, R. The sills S, which are arranged below the bottom of the door at the sides and ends of the car,are provided on their under sides with groovesT, which match the tongues or rails E on the upper sides of the'platform A. The said grooves T communicate with sem i-spherical sockets or recesses U, which are adapted to fit on the semi-spherical balls G and 'G'. By this means it will be readily understood that an exceedingly tight joint is effected between the platform A and the main section M of the car.

In diagonally-opposite corners of the main Section M, under the fioor thereof, are arranged depending plates V, which are provided with circular beveled openings adapted to fit over the beveled outer sides ofthe annular rings Ion the base-blocks H. The door of the main section M, which forms the false bottom of the car, is provided with openings that communicate with the openings in the plates V, so that the upper edges of the rings I project slightly above the floor of the main section of the car.

The upper side of the main section M of the car, on which the dome is usually built, is provided with a rectangular opening, W. Around the sides and ends of this opening is arranged a tongue or rail, X, which is similar in construction to the tongue or rail E, and `is provided at its corners and at suitable intervals in its sides with upwardly-projecting semispherical balls Y.

Z represents transverse beams which extend across the opening W near the ends thereof.

A represents the detachable dome of the car, which is adapted to fit over the opening WV. The lower sides of the dome are provided with grooves B', adapted to fit the tongue or rail X, and communicating with the said groove are semi-spherical recesses or sockets C', adapted to t on the balls Y, and thereby effect a tight joint between the top of the car and t-he detachable dome thereof.

If it be desired to render the joints'between IOC the dome and the main section of the car and between the latter and the base or, platform A absolutely air-tight, this may be accomplished by placing thin sheets of rubber or other elastic material on the tongues or rails, as shown at D'.

rlhe object of my invention is to construct a railway passenger-car in detachable sections, which are securely fastened together under ordinary conditions, but which will come apart in the event of a railway accident sufficient to overturn the car, and thereby enable the passengers to readily escape from the ear and also prevent the fire in the stoves and lamp from igniting the car.

I have described the construction of the detachable sections of the car, and will now describe the means employed to secure the said sections together under ordinary conditions and permitthem to come apart when an accident occurs.

In each end of the detachable dome A' is secured a vertical rectangular plate, E', which is provided with a central vertical slot, F', and on the front side of the plate, near the upper edge thereof, is a vertical guideway, H'.

l represents a diamond-shaped lockingplate, which is provided with vertical parallel slotsK', adapted to receive studs L', that project from the front side of the plate E'. From the rear side of the locking-plate, at the upper end thereof, projects a stud, M', which extends through the slot F'. From the rear side of the main plate E', near the upper and lower ends thereof, project studs N', which are arranged inline with the slots F', and these studs are connected by a vertical guide-rod, O,which is arranged in rear of the plate and extends through a vertical transverse opening made in the stud M'. j

P'representsaeoiled extensile spring which is placed on the guide-rod and bears between the lower stud N' and the stud M', and the function of this spring is to raise the lockingplate when the latter is released.

R' represents a pair of locking-arms which are fulcrumed on studs S', that project from the front side of the plate E', near the lower corners thereof. The upper ends of these locking-arms are beveled or inclined on their opposing sids, and thereby adapted to the shape of the locking-plate l'. The lower portions of the said locking-arms are provided on their opposing sides with incised recesses T', the edges of which are beveled inward.

U' represents a pair of stops which project from the frontside ofthe plate E', near the edges thereof, and are adapted to limit the movement of the upper ends of the locking-arms R. Immediately between the guideways H', and above the same, is a horizontal fiange, V.

W' represents a right-angled slide-plate which fits between the guideways H' and is adapted to move vertically. An adjusting-` screw, X', is swiveled in the flange V', and the lower end. of this screw extends through and engages a threaded opening made in the horizontal flange of the slide-plate. To the latter is pivoted the upper end of aroeking arm, Y'. The said rocking arm has a cam, Z', formed on its rear side at its upper end, and the said cam is adapted to bear upon the upper end of the locking-plate l', so as to force the latter downward on the plate E' when the rocking arm Y' is in a vertical position, and thus cause the oppositely-inclined lower sides of the lockingplate to forcethe upper ends of the locking arms R' from each other, and thereby cause the lower incised ends of the said lockingarms to approach each other. Thelower end of the swinging or rocking arm Y is weighted and is provided with a setscrew, A2, which is adapted to engage a recess or opening, B2, made in the plate I' near the lower end thereof. that its end does not engage the recess B2.

On the opposing sides of the cross-bars Z are secured plates C2, which are provided with projecting bosses D2. The ends of the said bosses are inclined and diverge upward and are beveled, and thereby adapted to tit in the beveled sides of the incisions or recesses T' in the lower ends of the locking-arms.

When the dome is placed on the main section M of the car, the rocking arms Y are turned to one side, and the locking-plates l' immediately move up, and thereby release the upper ends of the locking-arms R', so that the lower ends of the latter may be divergedand thereby caused to clear the ends of the bosses D2. As soon as the rocking arms Y' are released, they fall by their own gravity to a ver tical position, thereby causing their cams Z' to bear downward on the locking-plates l', and causing the latter to force the upper ends of the lockingarms R' apart, and the result is that the lower ends of the said arms move toward each other and engage the inelinedbeveled ends of the bosses D". This firmly secures the dome on the top of the car under ordinary conditions; butin the event that the car should be overturned the rocking armsY' will swing to one side in order to maintain their vertical positions, the locking plates l will instantly release the upper ends of the locking-arms R', and as a consequence the lower ends of the latter will disengage the bosses D2, and the dome will immediately become detached from the top of the car and will fall from the same, thereby leaving the opening W in the top of the car clear, so that the passengers may very readily escape through the said opening.

Similar locking devices are provided to secure the main section of the car to the platform A, as shown, and therefore when the car overturns the main section will become detached from the platform provided with the trucks.

As hereinbefore stated, the heating-stoves are firmly attached to the platform A. The stove-pipes E2 extend through the roof of the main section of the vcar and are provided with laterally-projecting anges or collars F2 at Ordinarily the set-screw A' is turned so IOO I their upper ends, which are secured rmly on the outer sides of the roof. The lower ends of the stove-pipes are detachably secured to the tops of the stoves or heaters.

It will be readily understood from the foregoing description that when the car is overturned and the main section M thereof becomes detached from the platform A the stoves, being rigidly secured to the said platform, will remain withthe same, and will thereby be entirely withdrawn from the main section of the car. As the stove-pipes are rigidly attached to the main section of the car and loosely attached to the stoves, they will readily detach themselves from the latter when the main section of the car leaves the platform.

By providing the openings T and the inclined ends of the bosses D2 with bevels, as shown, the locking-arms R' engage the bosses so firmly that they cannot become detached therefrom in the event that the connections between the sections of the car should become loose and enable the sections to move endwise independently of each other when the car starts or stops.

By providing the swiveled adjusting-screws X' and enabling the plates V', to which the rocking arms are pivoted, to be vertically moved or adjusted the said rocking arms may be so arranged as to cause the locking-plates l' to become disengaged from the lockingarms R' when the car reaches any predetermined angle in overturning.

Gr2 represents tanks for gas, gasoline, carbonoil, or other material used ordinarily for supplying the gasfixtures or lamps which are employed to illuminate the car. These tanks are located on the endsof the detachable dome at diagonally-opposite corners thereof. The gas-fixtures or lamps supplied from the said tanks are suspended from the roof or sides of the detachable dome A', and are connected to the tanks by pipes secured to the sides of the dome. When the dome leaves the top of the car, the tanks, gasfixtures, or lamps move with the said dome from `the car, and thereby remove all danger of setting fire to the main body of the car.

Having thus described my invention, I claim l. In a railway-car, the combination of the platform A, to which the trucks are secured, and the main section or body M, arranged on the platform and adapted to become detached therefrom when the car overturns, substantially as described.

2. A railway-car made in detachable sections, the said sections being fitted together by tongue-rails, balls, and grooves,and recesses adapted to receive the said tongue-rails and balls, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a railway-car, of the platform A, the stoves or heaters secured thereto, and the main section or body of the car M, detachably secured to the platform and adapted to leave the latter when the car overturns, the said main section or body of the car having the floor or false bottom provided with openings through which the stoves project, substantially as described.

4. The combination, in a railway-car, of the platform A, having the base plates or blocks H, providedfI with the projecting rings or flanges I, the stoves rigidly attached to the platform and arranged in the rings or ilanges I, and the section or body M of the car, detachably secured to the platform A and having the floor provided with the openings to receive the rings or anges'I, and the stovepipes rigidly attached to the main section or body and loosely connected to the stoves, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a railway-car, of the platform A, having the projecting tongue or rail E on its upper side made in detachable sections, and the body of the car detachably secured to the platform and having the grooves on its under side adapted to receive the tongue or rail E, substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a railway'car, ofthe main body or section M, the dome detachably secured on the said main body or section and adapted to fall from the same in the event that the car overturns, the tanks G2, and lamps or gas-fixtures attached to the said dome, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

7. The locking devices for securing the detachable parts of a railway-ear together, the said locking devices consisting, essentially, of the engagingarms R', the plates I', to operate the said arms, and the pivoted swinging arms Y', to operate the said plates and cause the latter to release the arms R' when the car overturns, substantially as described.

8. The combination, in locking devices to secure detachable parts of a railway-car together, of the pivoted arm R', the longitudinally-movable plates I', to engage the upper ends of the arms, the springs to normally move the said plates from the said arms, and the pivoted Weighted levers or arms Y', having the cams to engage the plates I', for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

9. lllhe combination of the pivoted locking arms R', the movable plates I', to engage the same, for the purpose set forth, the adjustable plates W', the rocking or swinging arms Y',

pivoted to the said plates and having the camsV to operate the plates I', and the adjusting screw to move the said plates, substantially as described.

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presn ence of two witnesses.

JOHN XV. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

SAML. JONES, D. T. CALDWELL.

ICC

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